Integrated shoe quarter



1940- B. F. HARTWELL Er AL 2,217,274

INTEGRATED SHOE QUARTER Filed June 9, 1933 I/lllllll /lllllll I III/lit 71/16 n Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES INTEGRATED SHOE QUARTER Benjamin F. Hartwell, Leslie L. Hartwell, J r., and Arthur F. Hartwell, Bellows Falls, Vt.

, Application June 9, 1938, Serial :No. 212,714

1 Claim.

Our present invention is directed to improving and perfecting the manufacture of boots and shoes particularly at the heel portion where quarter or heel sections are joined at the back seam of the heel, and also particularly where the premolding of the heel and quarter, as wellas lasting flange, in a prepared three-layer construction is utilized as in our prior application 104,196.

In our development of the art of shoe manufacture wherein a premolding of the heel and quarter sections is an important step, we prepare the upper material, the lining, and the counter stifiening sections all while flat and of an appro priate size and contour relative to each other, uniting these layers by adhesive or otherwise also while flat, and then subjecting them to a premolding operation which shapes the three united layers into final finished form, together with the formation of a lasting flange thereon all ready for attachment to the insole and assembly on a last and completion of the shoe.

Where a single layer or sheet of material is employed, particularly for the outer upper, the stiffener, and for the lining no special difliculty is experienced in the premolding operation even though the three layers are united while fiat and stretched and compressed into the concavo-convex contour of a finished shoe heel, the materials yielding sufficiently under pressure for the compression and stretching required during the operation of molding these three layers.

However, considerable difilculty has been experienced in such premolding when one or more layers, such for example as the outer finished material or the lining, or both, are united at a back seam, because of the increased thickness of the multiple layers and stitching, and particularly where the topmost edge is folded to give a proper finished appearance. This doubling and trebling of the layers of material at the back seam has always caused bunches, wrinkles, and difliculties even in the ordinary lasting operation and has proven to be somewhat more difficult in our premolding method of shoe manufacture.

In order to obviate this difllculty we have discovered that by providing a recess or notch of substantial area in the intermediate or stiffening layer of our three-layered heel blank construction we can readily take care of the increased thickness of the heel strap, particularly at the folded top portion, resulting in a smooth, efiicient, unwrinkled, and greatly beneficial shoe structure.

This structure is of great importance, and

while particularly applicable to our premolded shoe-making method is also capable of use advantageously in any shoe structure and in the old style method of first assembling the upper materials on a last and then lasting them into shape instead of our method of premolding the previously unitedlayers into shape.

A still further feature of our present invention consists in the improved heel structure, providing for a substantially straight back seam in place of the former old style method of uniting the heel and quarter portions in a back seam on a convex curve. This prior method was necessary to aid in giving the upper materials and lining and shoe counter stifiener a spring to help fit same on a last, as well also to provide a pocket for the subsequent insertion of a counter stiffener, which counters were roughly molded into curved shape. I

Also, heretofore such back seams were made on a coarse work support which requires special skill and machines for the purpose.

By means of our present improvement We are enabled to unite the quarter or heel sections into a back seam on a straight, fiat, level support with an ordinary sewing machine and thus the upper materials, where a back seam is used, are united fiat and are attached to the three layers, upper, lining, and stiffening layer, all while flat, by adhesive and pressure, and thereafter the premolding operation gives the desired form to the back seam.

In carrying out our present invention we form the intermediate stiffening layer, which is of substantial thickness with the notched portion or reverse contour, at the relative position where the extra thickness of the back seam, and par ticularly the folded edge on the top part of the upper, is made thereby providing a recess or pocket as it were into which the extra thickness of the back seam can be squeezed or housed, thereby permitting an unwrinkled, smooth, and greatly improved shoe structure to be present at the heel portion.

Referring to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment,

Fig. 1 is a plan View partly broken away showing the outer upper materials united by a back seam at the heel and the counter stiffener with the recess or notch therein;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the outer and stiffener as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of the upper and stiffener after the edge-folding operation;

30g spread out flat for attachment to the stiffener l Fig. 4 is a view of the upper, stiffener and lining after the premolding operation, and

Fig. is an enlarged view partly in cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawing, we form a fiat stiffener blank I of suitable contour to fit the design of the shoe heel with which it is to be incorporated, said stiffener having a notch or recess 2 formed in the upp r part of the same as the middle section of sufiicient width to span the overlapping edges constituting the back seam of the two quarters 3 and 4 of the shoe, and the bottom of which recess lies below the inturned edges of the quarter sections when folded. The blank I also may be formed with the usual bevelled edge,

portion 5, and the quarters of the upper 3 and 4 may be of any suitable design desired.

It Will be appreciated that thequarters '3 and 4 .are united by a back seam usually by laying the upper sections 3 and 4 together fiat with the outer surfaces in contact, and then a straight stitching seam 6 is set; whereupon the upper sections 3 and 4 are spread apart and the short extensions beyond the seam 6, as indicated at 1 and 8, are turned backwardly, making the same lie as flat as possible against the rest of the upper. These folded portions 1 and 8 may be pressed to still further even and smooth the back seam which, it will be noticed, is in a straight line, the layers 3 and 4 being thus united and by adhesive.

Thereupon the edge folding operation is performed by turning in the edge of the-upper at the sides and top to give a finished appearance and, as shown at Ill, this edge folding preferably extending slightly over the bevelled margin of the stiffener I except where the notch 2. interrupts the same, and also provides a space or recess for the folded edge In to fit therein and be partially concealed or housed during the premolding action.

.After the edge folding operation, the lining I2 is then applied also by adhesive and a row of top stitching I5 is set and the surplus edge of the lining is trimmed simultaneously, the stitching edge [0 at the back seam portion to be of sub- I stantially no greater thickness than that of the rest of the folded edge, thus eliminating bunches at the heel of the shoe structure and permitting the same to be more comfortable, better appearing, and eliminating Wear and wrinkles.

This improved structure is greatly beneficial when our premolding operation is employed wherein the entire layers constituting the heel and quarter portions are premolded into final form together with a lasting flange 20 prior to assembly on an insole and last.

We claim:

As a step product, a'quarter for a shoe, said quarter comprising a two part outer layer of shoe upper material, said parts being seamed together at the rear by a vertically disposed seam, a counter stiffener adhesively secured throughout its area to the outer. layer, the outer layer having its top edge inturned over the top edge of said counter stiifener, and providing a smooth upper edge at the back-seam, said stiffener having a U-shaped notch entirely through the material thereof in its topmost portion and of a depth greater than the width of the inturned portion with the folded portion of the seam housed therein, .a lining layer adhesively secured throughout its area to the counter stiifener and outer layer, and a line of stitching passing through said lining layer and the folded edge of the outer layer, the assembly being shaped tofinal finished unitarylform including a lasting flange. 1

BENJAMIN F. HARTWELL. ARTHUR F. HARTWELL. LESLIE L. HARTWELL, JR. 

